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Watch This Jetpack Do Strange Things Near Ellis Island
// Popular Science
JB-9 Jetpack In Flight
Jetpack Aviation
Most jetpacks aren't. The catchy term for personal flying devices includes ducted fans, rockets, engine-powered wing suits, and even hovercraft, but rarely does the device involved actually use jets. Perhaps aware of this incredibly misnamed category, jetpack makers Jetpack Aviation bill their JB-9 device as the "world's only jetpack." Here's what it looks like skirting the Statue of Liberty:
At their site, they describe themselves as Jetpack Purists, noting:
We believe a JetPack should be just that – a jet turbine powered backpack that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), is extremely light and small and can easily be carried around by the pilot. It should be powerful enough to lift the pilot quickly to thousands of feet above the ground but small enough to fit into the trunk of a car.
The company claims that the JB-9 offers a 10 minute endurance, a top speed over 10 0mph, and a maximum altitude of over 10,000 feet. The device also supposedly has its heritage from a long line of "jet belts," first built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Here's a rocket belt tested for Popular Science in the 2000s:
The team of David Mayman and Nelson Tyler say that between them, they have 70 years of experience in jetpack design. After this design, they want to work on a four engine design, a virtual reality simulator to train jetpack pilots, and an automatically deploying parachute.
Watch it buzz Ellis Island below:
Video of World's only JetPack flies in New York
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